2023 -
GAME 12
SAINT JAMES 41, Randolph County 6
R C
6
0 0
0
6
STJ
7 14
13 7
41
Friday, November 17, 2023 Carlisle Field Game
Conditions: Mostly cloudy, very pleasant Game
Temperature: 67 Wind: very light, negligible
K.J. Jackson had another brilliant night tossing four
touchdown passes, but it was two of his mates who stole the
show as Jake Huff had an excellent kicking game, recovered a
fumble, and caught two long touchdown passes while Clint
Houser caught the other two touchdowns, returned a punt for a
touchdown, and made a great interception taking the ball away
from a potential receiver in mid-air as the Trojans again
advanced to the third round of the 3A State Playoffs with a 41
- 6 victory over first time Carlisle Field visitor - the
Randolph County Tigers.
SCORING
SUMMARY
STJ (1) 10:12 Huff 49 pass from
Jackson
(Huff kick) 7 - 0
R C (1) 3:37 Winston 8
run
(kick failed) 7 - 6
STJ (2) 11:20 Houser 20 pass from
Jackson
(Huff kick) 14 - 6
STJ (2) 2:55 Jackson 3
run
(Huff kick) 21 - 6
STJ (3) 8:20 Houser 58
punt
return
(Huff kick) 28 - 6
STJ (3) 2:53 Huff 37
pass from
Jackson
(kick failed)
34 - 6
STJ (4) 6:49 Houser 80
pass from
Jackson
(Huff kick) 41 - 6
For one of the few times this season, Saint James did not earn
the first possession of the game as Randolph County won the
opening coin toss and elected to receive. Their team
strategy has been and was to run, run, run the ball from their
wishbone setup and grind the clock and wear down
opponents. After the first of many endzone kickoffs from
Jake Huff, the Tigers could not make a first down and a short
punt gave the Trojans the ball at the Randolph County 49.
On the first play, Saint James tried a flea flicker. It
worked, but not exactly as drawn up. K.J. Jackson lofted a
ball intended for Clint Houser in the endzone, but the ball was
underthrown and Huff actually ran in front of Houser to make a
great catch into the endzone on the Trojan's first scrimmage
play for a touchdown. Huff then added the extra point for
a quick 7 - 0 lead.
Another Huff kickoff reached the endzone, but on this drive the
Tigers did grind out 80 yards for an eventual touchdown - which
would turn out to be their only score of the evening. With
mulitple running options led by quarterback Avion Willis and
primary runner Mo Winston, the Tigers chugged down the field in
12 plays. Willis' 27 yard quarterback scamper moved the
ball into Trojan territory, and eventually Winston ran the final
8 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was missed to the
left, but Randolph County had cut the lead to 7 - 6 with under
four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Houser, who had not only his best game of the season but
certainly the best since his injury which kept him out for most
of the season thus far, returned the kickoff to the Trojan
40. Cole Anderson, returning for his first action since an
injury early several games ago, and Jackson ran the ball down
the field a la Tiger. On the second play of the second
quarter, Jackson found Houser for a 20 yard touchdown and Huff's
extra point boosted the Trojan lead to 8 at 14 - 6.
Randolph County moved the ball into Trojan territory before a
fumbled handoff was recovered by Huff around midfield, the first
of what would be three Tiger turnovers. Jackson scrambled
for a nifty 12 yards to convert a key third down and 12, and on
the next play Jackson tossed a pass to Tabor Offord who would
have carried the ball inside the ten yard line but a holding
penalty negated some of the yardage, bringing the ball back to
the Tiger 25. On second down, another pass to Huff gave
Saint James a first and goal from the Tiger 3, and on the next
play Jackson with the keeper marched into the endzone for
another touchdown and a 21 - 6 lead in a swiftly moving first
half.
The Tigers again were marching the ball. A 15 yard pass
from Willis to Amari Molden for 15 yards was just enough to
convert a a fourth down and 13 advancing the ball to the Trojan
24, but time was running out in the half. After a false
start penalty, Willis lofted a desperation pass into the
endzone. The intended receiver slipped and fell, but the
ball was corralled by Brayden Corley in the endzone for an
interception which stopped the scoring threat and gave Saint
James the halftime lead with the promise of the ball on the
opening drive of the third quarter upcoming.
A short bouncing kick was fielded by Caden Anderson at the
Trojan 37, but the Tiger defense finally held the Trojans and
forced a punt. The Trojan defense followed suit and held
Randolph County to a three and out, and the ensuing punt was
fielded by Houser at the Trojan 42. The punt was low
enough to be returned, and Houser did - untouched toward the
near sidelines and outracing Willis, the only possible defender
who could catch him, for the first Trojan punt return touchdown
since the 2022 second round playoff game against W.S.
Neal. Huff's extra point gave Saint James a 28 - 6 lead
and seemed to take what wind was left in the Randolph County
sails out of the game. The Tigers had to switch from ball
control and grind to catch up mode, something they were not used
to performing. To further deal insult, on the second play
of the ensuing drive Winston appeared to race for a 75 yard
touchdown on a breakaway but a block in the back penalty at the
40 yard line negated the score. Three plays later,
Randolph County punted again. After a sack, Saint James
faced a fourth down and 19 from their own 43. An
encroachment penalty gave Saint James five yards, and they
proved very meaningful. Braxton Berrey's punt pinned the
Tigers inside their own 10 yard line, but a flag at the line of
scrimmage resulted in a rarely called penalty at the high school
level - roughing the snapper. The 15 yard personal foul
was just enough to give the Trojans a first down to extend the
drive and on the next play, Jackson tossed a pass to Huff who
made a brilliant run after catch to go 37 yards for another
touchdown. Perhaps a combination of being tired after the
run and a subpar snap led to a missed extra point, but Saint
James was now in control at 34 - 6.
Despite gaining more than three times as many yards rushing as
Saint James, Randolph County could not possibly get back into
the game with a time controlled rush offense, and several
incomplete passes led to another punt. Similar to the
penalty with prevented a Tiger touchdown, a pass from Jackson to
Wils Johnson which picked up huge yardage was mostly negated by
a block in the back penalty, and on the final play of the third
quarter a punt into the endzone gave the ball back to Randolph
County. Several Winston runs and several Molden pass
receptions advanced the ball as far as the Trojan 12. On
first down, it appeared Willis was going to carry in for a
score, but the ball was knocked from his hands and dribbled into
the endzone where it was fallen upon by Corley for a touchback,
and another threatened score by the Tigers went by the wayside.
On first down, Jackson looked for the hot hands of Houser and
found them. The pass only traveled 15 yards or so,
but Houser broke a number of tackles and then pulled away just
reaching the endzone for an 80 yard touchdown catch and receive
- the longest such for a Trojan since Ethan Beard's 93 yard
touchdown reception in the 2022 State Championship game.
Huff's extra point would amount to the final score of 41 - 6,
but Houser's night was not quite over. On third down of
the next drive, Willis tossed a long pass which appeared to be a
"50/50" ball, but Houser wrestled the ball from the Tiger
receiver in mid-air snatching an interception, and the fourth
Tiger turnover of the game meant the reserves could come in and
wind down the final half of the fourth quarter, which they did
not giving Randolph County another chance at the football.
For the second consecutive year, Saint James advances to the
third round of the 3A Playoffs and meets the same third round
opponent, Thomasville. This time, the venue changes - on
the road - but Saint James will be looking for their 300th
victory of all time hoping to head to Tuscaloosa two weeks later
for a chance at another state championship.
PRESS BOX STATISTICS - GAME TWELVE
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING
28
attempts
80 yards
1 TD
(2.86 yards
per carry)
21
Anderson 11 /
40
15
Perry 4 /
18 1
Jackson 8 / 14 (1 TD)
31
Phillips
4 /
10
7 Houser 1 / - 2
PASSING
9 completions 13 attempts 0 INTs 268
yards 4 TDs
1 Jackson
9 - 13 - 0 268 yards 4 TDs
RECEIVING
3
Huff
3 / 108 (2 TDs) 7
Houser
2 / 100 (2 TDs) 10
Offord 1 /
26
12
Craig
1 /
19
4
Johnson
1 /
13
21 Anderson 1 /
2
TOTAL
YARDS: 348
KICKS: XP 5 / 6
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 7
(EZ,EZ,EZ,EZ,EZ,56,EZ) PUNTS: 2
(40,41EZ)
KO RETURNS: 2 (27,0)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (58TD)
FIRST
DOWNS: 16 (8 rushing, 7 passing, 1 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4 / 7
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
FUMBLES: 1, lost 0
FUMBLE RETURNS: 2 (0,0)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 2 (0,0)
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 4
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 14
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 6 / 50 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 21:24
RANDOLPH CO
RUSHING 43 attempts 247 yards 1
TD (5.74 yards per carry)
PASSING
6 completions 16 attempts 2 INTs 0 TDs
46 yards
TOTAL
YARDS: 293
KICKS: XP 0 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2
(47,23)
PUNTS: 4 (20,32,32,19)
KO
RETURNS: 1 (14)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 16 (13 rushing, 3 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 7 / 14
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
FUMBLES:
2, lost 2
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 2 / 15 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 26:36
RETURN TO THE
SAINT JAMES 2023 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE